Improve Your Gas Mileage
There are lots of little things you can do to improve your gas mileage. Here are a few of the best ones.
Drive sensibly. Simply put, drive smart. Don't accelerate aggressively or break suddenly (unless of course you can't avoid it). Don't speed. Speeding increases the likelihood of having to break more aggressively that you might normally have had to. That and of course it's safer to do the speed limit, reducing the chances of getting in an accident, which would cost a lot more than a few gallons of gas.
Something else to consider when pressing on the gas pedal is that each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed. For the majority of vehicles, it can be assumed that the number of miles per gallon you are getting decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. It's also safe to assume that for every 5 mph over 60 mph that you drive you might as well be paying an extra $0.21 per gallon for gas.
Remove excess weight. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could decrease your miles per gallon by 2%.
Don't idle your car. If you plan to be stopped for longer than 1 minute, you will save gas by turning off and restarting your car.
Keep your car properly tuned. By making sure the engine is running properly and your tires properly inflated you can significantly improve the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Regularly changing your oil and air filter will help also.
Plan and combine trips. By taking several short trips your car starts cold every time - when your engine is warmed up it uses fuel more efficiently. So by taking a longer multistop trip you will be able to save fuel. And by planning your trips you will be able to avoid retracing your route and shorten the overall distance traveled.